Saturday, September 29, 2007

H.R. 2003

H.R. 2003, which previously was known as H.R. 4423 and H.R. 5680, unanimously passed the Foreign Relations committee in the House of Representatives of the United States Congress this week (you can watch Ethiopian Television Network's interview with Representatives Donald Payne and Christopher Smith and two Kinijit folks courtesy of Abugidainfo), and it is on the verge of getting the approval of the full House next week, if it gets to the House floor as scheduled.

It will be a major breakthrough for the cause of human rights in Ethiopia if the bill passes in the House, and that will substantially increase the odds of the bill getting the approval of the United States Senate. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration is opposed to this bill (we will find out if they are still opposed to it at this hearing), and there is also a risk that the bill could be watered down in the Senate where the rules for passing a legislation are tougher. But, for now, we should thank Reps. Payne and Smith for keeping the spirit of bipartisanship for H.R. 2003 alive!

5 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Hello there,

There is big talk about “H.R.2003” in recent time among Ethiopians, some pressure groups and interested parts. The over all intentions of this document that could be approved to be a bill, is a well coming effort to highlight the human right abuse in Ethiopia from one of the western democracy. This is welcome gesture from US democratic forces to Ethiopia.My problem is when H.R.2003 is over hyped and portrayed as instrumental to bring a change in our country. Moreover your comment decorates this process as “major breakthrough for the cause of human right in Ethiopia.” This is a bit of exaggeration over emphasizing from your side. I do believe that the real breakthrough is when our country gets a proper government accountable to the Ethiopian people. When the rule of law is practiced in that country.

This process will help the struggle to promote the human rights in our country. i have no problem or illusion in this. But it can not be the “Magna Carta” of Ethiopia. The real breakthrough comes only within Ethiopia.

I share most of your sentiments, including the dangers of over-hyping the bill as a cure-all for all the bad things with Ethiopian politics. I do believe our main problem is cultural and a law passed in the US Congress can not change the flaws in our culture. Nevertheless, I do believe that it will be a major breakthrough for the cause of human rights in Ethiopia if this bill passes in the US House of Representatives.

If the bill passes next week, it will send a clear signal for the regime in power that it will have to start changing its arrogant ways. It will also send a clear signal to the Bush Administration that it must begin to take into account the gross human rights abuses by the Ethiopian regime in its dealings with it.

If the regime in power did not think the passing of the bill in the House will be a major blow to its image (which is a major breakthrough for the cause of human rights), then it would not have been spending the kind of resources that it has so far and will probably continue to spend. I would not be surprised if the regime has already spent several million dollars in this effort.

If the regime in power did not think the passing of the bill in the House will be a major blow to its image (which is a major breakthrough for the cause of human rights), then it would not have been spending the kind of resources that it has so far and will probably continue to spend. I would not be surprised if the regime has already spent several million dollars in this effort.

I think TPLF has been spending millions of dollars to lobby. Do you remember Nestle? Nestle was accussed by human rights groups of seeking six million USD from Ethiopia while 17 million or more were starving in Ethiopia a few years ago. And Nestle's response was that TPLF was spending more than that every year lobbying in USA alone. Any way I think Nestle gave back the money it won to the famished Ethiopians but not trough TPLF regime.

Although there are still two more big obstacles to pass for H.R. 2003, I agree congratulations is in order to the Ethiopian people on the bill passing this important test. Thanks to Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer for not giving in to the TPLF lobbying machine.

Speaking of lobbying, glad you brought up the Nestle case. I think it is worth reading Ethiopundit's sound analysis of that Nestle's PR debacle, which was a boon to TPLF's treasury, titled Leveraging Poverty.

The new USpredentail election and the coming H.R 2003 is unfoveried for TPLFboth powers will blow up TPLF ,meles tried to build strong security deffence thietend in all sarounding 'it is unprotectable but just to triy some how.